Petition Aims to Stop Hate Speech Against Rüzgar Erkoçlar

LGBT rights activists has launched a petition to condemn the hate speech directed at Rüzgar Erkoçlar, a trans man whose recent gender change was exposed to the media without his consent.

Having reached at least 3,000 signatures as of today, the petition defended that “Ruzgar is a trans man and he cannot be discriminated”.  

"Erol Köse disregarded the confidentiality of private life and openly targeted Rüzgar Erkoçlar’s personal rights by disclosing his gender change operation through twitter in a discriminatory manner which attracted hate speech towards him,” the petition statement said.  

Condemning the violation of Erkoçlar’s confidentiality and the hate speech that he had been subject to, some of the highlights from the statement included:

“Even though Rüzgar Erkoçlar felt like a man, he was trans man” trapped in a female body as a result of the expectations and pressure of the society. After undergoing hormonal therapy and a sex change operation, he has now obtained the body he feels he belongs to. The choice made by Rüzgar Erkoçlar should have been respected, appreciated and dealt with a manner that does not violate his right of privacy.”

We stand with Rüzgar Erkoçlar in the struggle that he has been going through as an equal individual and a trans man. We strongly condemn the attempt of disclosure, hate speech and hate crime that Rüzgar Erkoçlar has been exposed to.” (ÇT/BM)

Click here to sign the petition.

* bianet acknowledges Uzay Bulut for her voluntary translation of this article.